Brown Sugar
by Merrybeans
Summary: Queen Thayet may not have been as loyal to her husband as everyone believes.


**A/N: **Done for The Dancing Dove's 2006 Midwinter Fic Exchange. Contains femslash (female/female).

**Disclaimer:**I don't own them.

**Dedication:** For Seereth.

**Brown Sugar.**

Everyone believes that when you are queen you can have everything you want. They fail to realise that there are even stricter rules for you to abide by.

Of course, rules are made to be twisted. Every Queen knows that.

--

Queen Thayet knew that this was a rule that should not be played with, on any account. Jon had told her as much many times- as had Gary- but she just couldn't resist. It really was too tempting.

She was a good queen, and a good person. She knew that (although she was by no means arrogant) but like every other honourable person, she could not always be perfect. Sometimes even _she_ had to bend the guidelines and find the loopholes.

As Thayet carefully went down on her knees and searched beneath the Tyran rug for the spare key to her husband's private desk, she thought this was definitely one of those times a rule had to be twisted.

After all, it wasn't the first time.

--

It was not the first time Queen Thayet had found herself in the arms of a lover that was not her husband.

As she was pressed up against the wall of her dressing room, the queen did not even pause to think of the implications of what she was doing. She was the Queen; she could do what she wanted.

But even this was stretching the limits.

--

There were limits, Thayet had discovered, as to what men could do for women. They tried, bless them, but they really were too clumsy.

Still, there was some joy to be had from coupling with Jon and Thayet engaged in it whenever she could. It added an interesting contrast to her other love-making.

--

Thayet loved making people happy. There were, of course, boundaries to this: she did not want the cruel to be celebrated or her enemies to be joyful, but otherwise the power of being queen allowed Thayet to improve the happiness of many people.

She did not believe that it made her any less of a person to enjoy such a thing, or any weaker. After all, it did not affect her ability to wield bow and horse and- to some extent- a glaive. Shinko was giving her daily tutoring sessions in that.

But there were times when Thayet liked to take a more forceful control. When this happened, she was a fierce K'miri warrior, as wild as a storm. Her passions were insatiable when she was in this mood; she would arch her back and shout madly.

--

Shinko arched her back, and moaned delicately. The Queen's experienced lips ran smoothly down the Yamani neck. Black hair fell against black hair; brown skin against dove-white. Princess and queen.

The same, and yet different.

--

There were other, different times when Thayet subsided and wanted only for others to please her. These moods were much rarer, and often came when she was worn to the bone. When all her worry had driven her mad, she simply needed someone to convince her she was still worthy.

Still beautiful. Still the peerless.

After all, wasn't that what family was for?

Thayet once thought that she bet Shinkokami had never imagined she would be _this_ close to her new family; the thought made her laugh until she cried. Thayet- in that affectionate way mothers always retain- knew her son was hopeless with women and it seemed such a shame to waste such a passionate, beautiful lady on a fool.

Thayet had soon shown Shinko that love-making with other women could be gentler, finer, and altogether more exquisite than with men. To begin with, was it not true that ladies had much sweeter bodies?

--

Shinko had a sweet little figure, that much was for sure. Thayet could easily see why all the men lusted after her. If the queen had not been so secure in herself, she would have worried that her position as the peerless was to be overthrown.

Still- as she ran painted fingernails along the inside of Shinko's thigh- Thayet knew that this shy little songbird could never replace her.

Shy, yes; but Shinko still reached up for a kiss. Thayet obliged. She liked shyness in a lover; she enjoyed teasing them and slowly working out what it was that they loved best of all.

She had yet to work out Shinko's favourite trick. With that thought in mind, the queen deepened the kiss, running her hands over the young woman's pert breasts.

--

A deep kiss was intimate, Thayet always said. It was more intimate, perhaps, than sex, and just as enjoyable.

However, she had given away more kisses than she cared to remember.

After she had tired of Jonathan, the queen had experimented with other men. She had fooled with Raoul for a time, but although the intoxicating sense of mischief had appealed to her, the relationship had not worked out. It was too complicated and he was too much like Jon. Kind, chivalrous; a man.

There had been other men too, but hardly worth the trouble.

No, it was the women that were remembered; the women that were fun. Uline of Hannalof had been deliriously fun to tumble with, but her marriage had put an end to that one. Somehow the young girl did not feel she could juggle a husband and a queen. She chose her husband.

Thayet had not been happy about that, but she had got over it rapidly. After all, Lalasa's sweet timidity had been too much _not_ to take advantage of. That had been the first- and so far, only- time Thayet had been in a threesome. There had been too little control for her satisfaction; one-on-one was far better.

Shinko was far better. And _so_ convenient.

Thayet had been attracted to the beauty from the day they had met, and in her mind, it was only a waiting game. Marital ties had no influence here.

--

She had no influence here, Shinko realised. As she kissed the Queen desperately, Shinko knew that her mother-in-law had complete and utter control.

Somehow though, she did not mind. Not when it was Thayet. With Thayet, she could relax completely and give herself over to the physical joys Roald never quite managed to awake in her. Perhaps he simply did not try hard enough.

The only time Thayet had showed any sign of weakness was when she once whispered- 'don't tell Jon' - but Shinko never would have anyway.

Even though age was not on her side, Thayet was still gorgeous, and Shinko- quiet little Shinko- made sure her kisses showed she appreciated that.

Feeling a little daring, she raked her nails down the Queen's back. Thayet cried out in pleasure.

Shinko knew the queen loved it raw.

--

When it came down to it, it was raw, physical lust. There was great attraction in all aspects, but the insatiable lust was the core.

It was the fire.

It was the life.

It would be the death.

And none of that mattered. Only her mouth, and her hands, and her beautiful long legs mattered. Wrap around her, wrap tightly.

--

Thayet wrapped her arms around Jon, holding him as they slept. It was the end of another long day.

--

The Queen wrapped her legs around Shinko, twining limbs together as they rocked and thrust on the rug. It was nearly the end of another afternoon of love-making.

--

Finding the key beneath the rug, Queen Thayet smiled triumphantly. Jon could never successfully hide things from her. She hoisted herself into his plush chair and inserted the key into the lock of the desk. The drawers sprung open with a satisfying _click_.

Thayet scrambled around in his possessions until she had found what she was looking for. Quickly she stuffed it down her bodice and rearranged Jon's desk so that it looked vaguely like it had before.

She locked the drawers again and pushed the ornate key back into its oh-so secret position. Standing, she glanced around the room. She did not want to leave any sign of her presence.

Satisfied, she left her husband's study in a swirl of silk and perfume to search out her daughter-in-law.

--

Shinko always let Thayet search her out; it was easier that way. They met where they could- in the gardens, the libraries, the disused function rooms, their private bedrooms.

Everyone remarked on how well they got on, but no-one ever guessed quite how far their relationship went.

Not even Jon, when Thayet would go missing for hours. Not even Roald, when his wife was delirious enough to give him her body. Not even the gossipers.

--

'It'll be all in the gossip by the morning,' Shinko whispered, pressing a finger to the mark on the queen's neck.

Thayet laughed. 'They can say what they like!'

'But what will the King say?'

Thayet pulled her daughter-in-law closer. 'He won't say anything. It's not the first time this has happened.'

_I bet not_, thought Shinko. _Not with your appetite._

'Jon has a surprisingly good talent for ignoring what he does not want to see.'

--

Just when Shinko thought things could not get any worse, she saw the cat. The animal sat there, watching her interestedly, tail flicking back and forth across the floor.

Shinko hid her face behind her hands with a little groan. All she needed now was for her eyes to puff up and her nose to stream. Rather dejectedly, she reached behind her, groping for a cushion on the big bed. She threw it at the tabby, missing.

The cat miaowed angrily and began to wash. Shinko sighed and gave up, falling backwards on to the bed. Her shift fell off her shoulder, exposing pale skin.

She really should not have told Thayet.

'Are you going to get dressed?' That was the Queen now, coming out of the dressing room. 'Roald will be waiting for you.'

Roald- dear, fumbling Roald- was always waiting for her.

Thayet sighed and did up the final tie on her outfit. She came to sit on the bed beside the younger woman, taking her hand. 'It's not your fault, Shinko.'

Shinko frowned- a tiny creasing of the forehead. 'Roald's then?'

'It is no-one's fault. It's just one of those things that happen.'

'I would not have wanted it to happen if I knew it would end- _this_.'

Thayet's lips pursed together. 'It would have come to an end eventually anyway, and it is your duty to bear children.'

'And afterwards?'

'We shall take that as it comes.'

Shinko looked away from the Queen, training her eyes on the far wall. Her voice was almost inaudible when she replied. 'I don't want to lose you.' There was a tight band around her chest.

'You won't,' said Thayet, and her voice was husky again. The queen drew Shinko to her across the bed and kissed her lips delicately. Shinko squirmed on to her knees, throwing her arms around Thayet's neck. Her shift slipped further off her shoulder.

Thayet broke the kiss, gasping for breath. Her eyes gleamed with anticipation and she leant in to taste the exposed skin of Shinko's neck. Black hair fell against black hair; brown skin against dove-white.

Shinko tried to pull Thayet back onto the bed, but it did not work. The queen pushed away and gently disentangled herself from Shinko's arms.

'No. Not while you are pregnant.'

Thayet smoothed hands down over her own stomach, trying to press out the creases in her silk. With deft fingers she dragged her hair back into an ornate arrangement on the top of her head, her eyes constantly fixed on her young lover.

Shinko watched back, eyes burning with unshed tears.

'Get up, Shinko.' Thayet's voice was commanding. 'Get dressed. Jonathan needs to be told.'

Shinkokami's insides knotted, but she still stared up at the beautiful woman in devotion. She reached for her gown.

It did not have to be the end.

---


End file.
